Ikelite DS51 Strobe User manual

Brand: Ikelite

Model: DS51 Strobe

Type: User manual

Product Registration

Please register your product at ikelite.com within 15 days of purchase.

Our product registration database is the best way for us to contact you in

the event of a product update.

DS51 TTL Strobe

Product Number 4044.1

About this Product

Thank you for your purchase of Ikelite equipment. Please read this

instruction manual completely before attempting to operate or dive

with this product. Please visit ikelite.com to register your product

to receive information on any updates or notices pertaining to your

equipment.

Included in the Box

• DS51 strobe

• Diffuser # 0561.2

• Bulkhead cap # 9104.7

• 1” Ball Mount # 4081.4

• Silicone lubricant

• 2 year manufacturer warranty

Specifications

• Weight ....................................................0.6kg (1.3 lbs) with

batteries

• Energy Rating ........................................50 watt-sec

• Coverage Angle ....................................70° (80° with diffuser)

• Widest Angle Lens ................................28mm SLR

• Guide Number (ISO 100) feet ...............56 surface, 28 underwater

• Guide Number (ISO 100) meters ..........17 surface, 9 underwater

• Firing Modes ..........................................TTL/Auto, Full, 5 fractional

powers

• Color Temperature 5700K

• Power Source ........................................4 AA-cell alkaline, NiCad,

or NiMH

• Flashes ..................................................200 full power

• Recycle Time..........................................3.5 seconds (full power)

• Depth Rating ..........................................90m (300 feet)

• CE - Compliant with applicable EU directives

• Complies with FCC part 15, subpart B, Section 15.109 for Class “B”

Products

Important Notices

» To prevent salt build-up and sticking controls, submerge the

strobe in clean, freshwater. Operate the knobs several times

each while underwater to ush out any residue.

» Do not use cleaning agents, spray lubricants, Rain-X, or

other solvents on strobe. Use of an incompatible chemical

compound can damage the plastic and o-rings, and may result

in leaking.

» The DS51 bulkhead connector is not waterproof and must

be capped when not connected to a cord or sensor. Using a

DS51 underwater with the bulkhead connector uncapped or

unconnected will cause the strobe to ood.

» The strobe is factory sealed; do not disassemble. Disassembly

will void your Ikelite DS51 limited warranty.

» Do not continuously re the strobe more than 15 times above

water in rapid succession. If this does happen, allow the

strobe to cool down for at least 10 minutes.

» Lithium-ion batteries are NOT recommended

Contents

Product Registration 1

About this Product 2

Included in the Box 2

Specications 2

Overview of DS51 Features 3

Important Notices 4

Getting to Know Your Strobe 7

Mounting the Strobe 8

Ikelite Arm/Mounting System 8

Attaching a Sync Connector 9

Battery Compartment 10

Opening the Compartment 10

Changing the Batteries 10

Battery Compartment - continued 11

Closing the Compartment 11

Compartment Flooding 12

Strobe Ready Light 13

Ready Light with TTL Housing 13

Ready Light with Remote Optical Slave Converter #4403 13

Mode Switch 14

OFF position 14

TTL/Auto Exposure Position 15

Manual Exposure Position 15

Strobe Diffuser 16

Using the Diffuser 16

Diffuser Installation and Removal 16

Maintenance 17

Post-Dive 17

Cleaning, Travel and Storage 18

Troubleshooting 18

Photos are over-exposed (too light) 18

Photos are under-exposed (too dark) 19

Strobe will not re 19

Strobe will not re when using sync cord 21

Strobe will not re when using an optical sensor 21

Ready light does not come on 22

Limited Warranty 22

Service and Repairs 23

Getting to Know Your Strobe

ikelite

Knob

Battery Door

Mode Switch

Strobe Ready Light

Waterproof

Bulkhead

Cap

Bulkhead

Connector

Flashtube

Mount

Mounting the Strobe

Ikelite Arm/Mounting System

The DS51 will accept several Ikelite strobe arms and mounts on the

underside of the strobe body. A 1-inch Ball Mount Mark II is included

which will allow attachment to 1-inch diameter ball arms from Ikelite,

TLC, Ultralight, Nauticam, and others. For further information, please

visit ikelite.com.

4080.05 Compact Ball Arm

4081.4 1-inch Ball Mount

Mark II (Included)

Attaching a Sync Connector

» A bulkhead cap or waterproof connector must be attached

to the strobe for waterproof operation. Never submerge the

strobe without either a bulkhead cap or compatible waterproof

connector attached.

1. Remove the bulkhead cap.

2. Lightly lubricate the connector O-ring. We recommend using only

Ikelite silicone lubricant to eliminate the possibility of swelling due to

incompatible compounds.

3. Line up the pins and receptacles and insert the Sync Cord Plug into

the bulkhead. The plug should slide easily into the bulkhead. If you

feel resistance, do not force it. Remove the plug and check

alignment.

Sync Cord Plug

Connector O-ring

Bulkhead

Waterproof

Bulkhead Cap

4. Rotate the knurled retaining ring until snug on the housing

bulkhead. Do not use pliers or tools to tighten the retaining ring.

Battery Compartment

Opening the Compartment

Always turn the strobe to OFF before opening the battery door located

at the back of the strobe. To access the battery compartment, rotate

the knob counter-clockwise several times and gently pull the door

off. Tilt the rear portion of the strobe down while removing the battery

door to eliminate the possibility of water droplets falling into the battery

compartment after a dive. Do not remove the knob from the battery

door. The battery compartment is sealed separately from the main

electronics. Do not disassemble the strobe. Disassembly will void your

Ikelite limited warranty.

Opening the Compartment

Be aware of the position of the o-ring around the perimeter of the

battery door. Keep the o-ring and sealing surfaces clean.

Lubricant is not necessary for proper sealing of the battery door o-ring.

To extend its life, you can lightly lubricate the exposed part of the

door’s o-ring before storing.

Changing the Batteries

Install four AA-cell batteries: alkaline, NiCad, or NiMH. Refer to the “+”

and “ – “ markings in the battery compartment to help properly install

the batteries. If the batteries are installed incorrectly, it may damage

the strobe’s electronics. Always carry spare batteries; weak batteries

cause many camera and strobe problems. It’s time to replace the

batteries when the ready light remains dark for 15 seconds or longer

after a ash.

Note: It is possible to buy bad “new” batteries, so check the voltage

output with a meter. Lithium-ion batteries are not recommended due

to their effect on the strobe’s recycle time and the batteries’ thermal

switch characteristics.

Battery Compartment - continued

Closing the Compartment

Check that the o-ring and sealing surfaces are clean. Make sure the

o-ring is back in its original position and free of any debris.

Lubricating the o-ring will NOT result in a better “seal” to the strobe

and is not necessary. Lubricant can be added before storage to help

extend the life of the o-ring. The o-ring is seated in the battery door

channel and does not need to be removed. Frequent removal of the

o-ring can increase the risk of dirt or debris getting into the o-ring

channel and causing a leak. If the o-ring needs to be removed, do

not use a screwdriver or other sharp instrument that may damage the

o-ring channel and result in a leak.

Replace the battery door. Make sure the door ts into the recess

around the battery compartment. Rotate the knob clockwise several

times and rmly hand-tighten to assure the proper o-ring seal;

otherwise, the battery compartment may leak. The o-ring seal is

visible through the battery door. Visually conrm that there is

a solid black line which indicates a seal all the way around the

door.

O-ring Seal: Note

solid black line

when properly

sealed against the

strobe body

Knob: Rotate

clockwise to tighten

Compartment Flooding

The battery compartment is separate from the DS51 factory sealed

electronics. Should the battery compartment ood, ush the

compartment with fresh water and dry thoroughly. Determine the

cause of the ooding to the best of your ability. Send the DS51 and

other system components involved to Ikelite for inspection and testing

as soon as possible.

Often, divers nd themselves in remote locations for extended periods

without access to multiple strobes. If the strobe with the ooded

battery compartment is the only one available to you at the time and

you’re desperate to continue shooting, please follow these instructions

for a temporary x:

1. Air out and thoroughly dry the battery compartment with air from a

blow dryer or a SCUBA tank hose.

2. Wash out the battery compartment with alcohol. Repeat Step 1.

3. Replace all batteries after battery compartment ooding. Never

re-use batteries that have been wet. The water could create an

internal short circuit in the strobe at some later date, potentially

causing an explosion.

4. Reassemble with fresh batteries.

5. After returning from your trip, send the DS51 and other system

components to Ikelite for inspection and testing.

Strobe Ready Light

The Ikelite DS51 Strobe features a ready light at the rear of the strobe

that glows red when the DS51 has recycled and is ready to re its

ash again. This recycling time should not exceed 15 seconds. If the

glow disappears for longer than 15 seconds between ashes, it may

be time for new batteries.

Ready Light with TTL Housing

When the DS51 is in TTL mode and connected to an Ikelite DSLR

housing, the strobe ready light will glow green for approximately two

seconds to indicate a correct exposure. If no green light appears,

check the image for possible underexposure. When the strobe has

recycled again, the ready light will again glow red indicating that the

strobe is fully powered and ready to re. If the strobe ready light does

not glow red, the batteries may be expended.

Your camera’s ready light “lightning bolt” in the camera viewnder may

blink while the DS51 is recycling and then glow solid when the DS51

is fully charged. Nikon DSLRs and older Canon DSLR models such as

the 20D and Rebel XT will always display a solid glow “lightning bolt”

regardless of the strobe cycle.

Ready Light with Remote Optical Slave Converter #4403

When using the DS51 strobe with the optional Optical Slave

Converter, the strobe is not electronically connected to the camera.

Therefore, the ready light in the viewnder of the camera indicates

when the on-camera ash has recycled. Examine both the camera

and strobe ready lights to make sure both ashes have fully recycled

before taking the next picture.

The Converter can be triggered off a camera ash or another strobe.

For more information about the Remote Optical Slave Converter

#4403, go to ikelite.com.

Mode Switch

The DS51 Strobe mode switch has eight different positions: OFF, TTL/

auto exposure setting, and six manual exposure settings.

(Fig.1) (Fig.2)

(Fig.3) (Fig.4)

OFF position

(Fig.1) Shows the mode switch in the OFF position. The white

indicator on the knob aligns with OFF. Always turn the strobe to OFF

before connecting or disconnecting a sync cord or opening the battery

compartment.

TTL/Auto Exposure Position

(Fig.2) Shows the mode switch in the TTL (Thru-the-Lens) / auto

exposure position. From the OFF position, rotate the switch clockwise

to access the TTL/auto exposure setting; the white indicator on the

knob aligns with TTL. When taking pictures with the mode switch in

this position, the camera automatically signals the strobe to turn off

when the exposure is correct.

• When the DS51 is connected directly to the camera, the camera

must feature compatible TTL/auto exposure to utilize this mode.

Manual Exposure Position

(Fig. 3) shows the mode switch in the manual exposure mode with the

DS51 Strobe turned to the F (full power) position. Rotate the mode

switch clockwise to access the different power settings. Each power

setting clockwise from F reduces the light output of the DS51 Strobe

in one-half f-stop increments. When shooting in the manual mode,

it is suggested that you start the strobe at full power and adjust the

camera’s aperture based on the strobe-to-subject distance.

If the subject in the photo is underexposed (dark) you must move

closer to the subject. If the subject is overexposed (light), then you

can rotate the mode switch clockwise to reduce the light output of the

strobe until the desired exposure is obtained. The DS51 provides ve

reductions in power in one-half f-stop increments from the full power

setting. (Fig.4) for example, shows the mode switch set to -1 and 1/2

f-stops.

Do not use manual strobe settings with a camera that emits “pre-

ash.” Leave the DS51 in the TTL position and adjust exposure

using your camera settings or housing conversion circuitry (if

applicable).

Strobe Diffuser

Using the Diffuser

The white diffuser can be secured to the front of the DS51 strobe

when softer lighting or a coverage angle of up to 80° is desired. The

diffuser reduces the DS51 light intensity by one full f-stop.

Diffuser Installation and Removal

Tab

Push and Lift

to Remove

Tab

Holes for the

Lanyard

1. The white diffuser features two protruding tabs for use in installation

and removal. The tabs on the diffuser should be positioned away

from the strobe.

2. Place the diffuser over the front of the strobe. Spread the two tabs

apart, insert the diffuser into the recessed front, and then rotate the

diffuser until it locks into position.

3. To remove the diffuser, bend one tab out towards the edge while

lifting simultaneously.

A lanyard or string can be attached to the diffuser by threading it

through the two circular openings near its edge. Attach the other

end to the strobe arm to prevent accidental loss.

Maintenance

Post-Dive

1. Always re-check o-ring seal after removing the battery door from the

strobe. Most importantly, make sure the o-ring is in place prior to

re-attaching the battery door.

2. Make sure the battery door is on and tightened down. Rinse your

strobe in fresh water. Do not remove the sync cord prior to rinsing.

Dry thoroughly.

3. NEVER leave your system in a fresh water rinse tank. Collisions

with other peoples’ gear can cause scratches or damage to your

equipment.

4. Stow your system in a shaded place where it is protected from

impact or overheating. If no shade is available, we recommend

covering the system with a towel or cloth.

Cleaning, Travel and Storage

1. Always rinse the exterior of the DS51 with fresh water after use,

especially after exposure to salt water. While rinsing, turn the mode

switch to free salt or debris that might have accumulated in the

DS51 recesses during the dive.

2. Dry the DS51 thoroughly with a clean, lint-free cloth.

3. Check the battery door o-ring and sealing surfaces for any debris

and gently wipe it away with a soft, lint free cloth. Lightly lubricate

the exposed part of the door’s o-ring. Lubricant will help preserve

the o-ring, but does not assist the o-ring seal.

4. Check the DS51 bulkhead connector threads for debris. Gently

wipe away with a soft, lint free cloth or a cotton swab to clean the

threads. Afterwards, lightly lubricate them.

5. Remove the batteries and store the DS51 with the battery door

lightly screwed on (this will allow any hydrogen/air mixture to

escape the battery compartment and avoid placing unnecessary

pressure on the o-ring that could cause it to atten).

6. Store in a cool, dry place.

In addition to these procedures, it is strongly recommended that this

strobe be returned to Ikelite periodically for inspection and water

pressure testing. Ideally your DS51 should undergo this process

every two years or 100 dives, whichever comes rst.

Troubleshooting

Photos are over-exposed (too light)

• Adjust strobe exposure setting.

• Adjust camera aperture (smaller), shutter speed (faster), or ISO

(higher).

• Move strobe(s) further away from your subject.

• Adjust exposure compensation in the camera.

Photos are under-exposed (too dark)

• Adjust strobe exposure setting.

• Adjust camera aperture (larger), shutter speed (slower), or ISO

(lower).

• Move strobe(s) closer to your subject and check aiming.

Strobe will not re

1. Turn on strobe.

2. Check the DS51 ready light. Turn the strobe’s mode switch to

OFF and then back to TTL. Make sure that the switch has actually

clicked into position.

3. Check that the batteries are inserted according to the “+” and “-”

markings. It is possible to buy bad “new” batteries, so check the

voltage output with a meter if possible. If using NiCad or NiMH

batteries, make sure the charger is operating properly and that the

batteries are fully charged.

4. Check the mode switches and cord connections on the camera

and strobe. Check that the ber optic cord or sync cord properly is

attached.

5. When using a sync cord between the camera and strobe,

disconnect the cord from the camera but leave the cord connected

to the strobe. Then use the two ends of a bent paper clip to connect

different receptacles on the ash cord contacts, as detailed in the

diagram below. This process, known also as“shorting,” creates a

temporary circuit that can test-re the strobe.

Caution: When creating a circuit via paper clip, or “shorting,” pay

close attention to which two receptacles you connect. If you short

across the wrong receptacles on a TTL sync cord, you may damage

the DS51 electronics. The specic receptacles to connect with the

paper clip vary based on the type of cord you own. Please refer to

the diagram below.

Nikonos Sync Cord

Paper

Clip

Ikelite Sync Cord

Ikelite TTL Cord: Point the raised half-circle at the end of the cord

encompassing the receptacles towards you, per the above diagram.

Place one end of the paperclip on the center receptacle and one

end on the lower right-hand receptacle. The DS51 should ash.

Nikonos TTL Cord: Point the indexing groove at the end of the

cord towards you, per the above diagram. Place one end of the

paper clip on the top-most, center receptacle and one end on the

lower, right-hand receptacle. The DS51 should ash.

If the DS51 ashes, the source of the problem lies somewhere in the

camera. If the DS51 does not ash, please send both the strobe and

cord to Ikelite Service for evaluation.

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Ikelite DS51 Strobe User manual

Ikelite DS51 Strobe User manual

Ikelite DS51 Strobe User manual

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